01 September 2012

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If you have ever wondered what it might be like to work for an entity such
as NASA or the CIA then you might find it is time well spent in investigating
how to apply your mba towards a non-traditional career focus upon
graduation.

While many students who are in advanced educational classes to obtain their organizational
leadership degree or other specialized mba degree fully intend on applying
their new skills in a corporate setting upon graduation, not all students fall
into this category. Some students are obtaining an advanced degree in business
to make a difference in the world of academia, nonprofit or even the government
either nationally, internationally or intergalactically. As with more
non-traditional hiring entities such as the FBI (Federal Bureau of
Investigation), the CIA and NASA recognize the value in the skill set of mba
candidates, more jobs are becoming available for students who are seeking out
alternatives to corporate careers.

What You Can Expect with Non-Corporate Careers

Because much of your educational curriculum and most likely many of your
internship and practicum opportunities will focus on applying your new
knowledge in a business setting, it can be harder to visualize how you might
apply an mba
degree online or an organizational leadership program, for instance, in a
non-traditional setting. But here it is important to realize that while a
nonprofit organization might have a different focus than a Wall Street firm,
the basic path to get there usually remains very much the same.

A nonprofit corporation may use program success as a benchmark of success,
while a Wall Street firm uses profitability, but both organizations still need
executives and employees who can balance the books, create marketing materials,
manage employees and perform many other basic business-focused skills in order
for the organization to succeed in its goals. The same holds true for
governmental entities such as the space program, intelligence agencies and
advocacy groups.

The Impact on Your Bottom Line

A potential pitfall to watch out for if you decide to pursue a career beyond
a corporate life is salary. Because often students who choose to work for
nonprofit organizations, academic institutions or the government do so out of
personal ideology or passion rather than an eye towards earning potential, it
can be more difficult to juggle the expense of paying back a student loan and
getting established financially after graduation should you choose this route.
However, there are ways to make it work.

Some students work in a corporate setting for a few years to earn up enough
money to pay off their loans and then they transition to a more personally desirable
field. Some students take advantage of loan forgiveness programs at their
academic institution, if such are available, for students who choose to work in
the service or government sectors after graduation. Still other students just
choose to take the hit because the payoff in job satisfaction is worth it. What
is most important is just to be aware of how your career choice could impact
your financial health before you make that choice.

The Hiring Process

The hiring process will likely also be different if you choose to target
your career search towards a government, academic or nonprofit or service
entity. You may have to do more networking in order to reach the decision
makers at your chosen employer. There may also be additional special prerequisites
or extra training or education you need to complete before you can qualify for
the career that interests you. You may not find as many resources at your
university’s career placement center for alternative career paths, which also
means you may have to start your job search earlier than your corporate-minded
peers. You may also consider joining specialty organizations or associations
prior to graduation as a student member. These organizations may be able to
assist you in meeting prospective employers in your chosen field.

There are many interesting ways to apply the advanced education and skills
you gain as you study towards earning your mba degree. The important thing to
remember is that, while it may take a bit more research and effort to find the
open doors in nontraditional fields, the payoff will be worth it when you land
a job you intrinsically know you will
love.

This article
was written by Lola Montrose, who is a MBA student at an online university.
Montrose has government aspirations with her own degree; it’s been her lifelong
dream. Lola lives in Washington D.C. and on the weekends, you can typically
find her writing at IKEA’s café.